A Lesson in Love
by JohnnySqueegee
Summary: YOU CAN FIND THE MOVIE ON YOUTUBE BY TYPING "LO MOVIE 2009" BY "SEVENOFNONE"* After Justin leaves the demonic world and burns the book, Jeez thinks about what Justin had said about Love. He decides to seek out Lo and ask him about his relationship towards Justin. He asks Lo to teach him how to experience it for himself, and Lo agrees eventually. Unfortunately, teaching Love is hard
1. Chapter 1

All around, there was darkness. However, it was not a peaceful darkness. It was enveloped in a thick red mist and the smell of copper and sulfur was so agonisingly, unbearably ever present that one would surely lose the contents of their stomach the minute the smell assaulted their nose. This, unfortunately, was not the only horror to bear. Screaming. Shrill shrieks of terror and misery. Ghostly wails and haunted sobs, and the cackles of demons could be heard in this place of unending suffering. And the sounds never ceased. One never got used to the tortures of Hell. One simply endured whatever sadistic form of pain was administered for the sins they had committed; in a sense, growing accustomed; complacent in their agony. Losing track of time as the blood was drained from your body and memories fogged over, melding together until all you could remember was pain and nothing more. Perhaps, that was the only blessing to be offered. A reprieve from the memory from before you were ravaged by disease and torment. What you don't remember cannot be missed. That is, until all dignity was ripped from their souls once again as their suffering was renewed with more fervor.

The demons were always so creative with their toys. That's why Jeez adored his job. The scaly creature was almost as old as time itself. He had been there long before humans had tainted the earth with their filth. Before the ice age. Before the dinosaurs; even before the creation of the universe. Back then, he was young. Just a fledgling of sentience, without a shape or form in which to inhabit. And, for a time, one might even say he was confused and insecure. He had no purpose to speak of. He was but a consciousness. A sort of gaseous cloud floating amongst the vast expanse of bitingly cold space and the vacuum of nothingness. If it were possible, Jeez would have wept from the sheer loneliness of it all.

Then, something astronomical happened. Literally. Where there once was blackness, there now existed light. An energy that could only be described as an overwhelming onslaught of pressure, heat and cold, colour, _sensation_ ; pleasure and pain erupted into being. The darkness was filled in an instant with trillions of balls of light. Dotting the expanse of space with their illumination. Debris collided into each other, clumping and splitting and forming into lifeless spheres of potential. The fiery ball in which would soon be known as the sun shone its first light upon all of the universe. And Jeez was elated. He had never before experienced such phenomena. There was much to explore.

Having been in the cold for so long, Jeez was drawn to warmth. It was an entirely new sensation to him and he enjoyed it. The sun was fascinating. The large orange sphere bubbled and popped angrily. It's tumultuous, burning body seared anything unfortunate enough to be pulled by the star's' gravitational pull into nothing but dust. And though Jeez was intrigued by the destruction the ball of lava caused, he felt something missing. There was still so much out there he hadn't seen yet. The essence that was Jeez traversed the never ending pit of darkness that was his home. He hopped from planet to planet, followed meteors and trailed after asteroids, observed and wondered how everything existed. How could these wonders come from nothing?

Jeez had all the time in the world to explore his wonders. But still, something was missing. And then he came across something rather peculiar. He noticed that the planet he had yet to explore; he had ignored it because it was rather drab and uninteresting to him at first glance, had something rather odd occurring in its atmosphere. He had seen clouds before when investigating other planets, but it was the formations of untainted, giant blue pools that covered the planet's surface that brought his curiosity to fruition. He was almost certain they hadn't been there when he first discovered the planet. But he had no frame of reference to distinguish how long it had been since he had first visited the planet. He decided to investigate.

His gaseous form had adapted to the atmosphere, slowly dispersing amongst the heavy clouds. And that was when he noticed them. The were only little specks swimming about in what was to be called water but they were indeed moving. Jeez slowly melted into the water, becoming a part of it. The little organisms swam right through him. They multiplied at such a ferocity. At first, there were two, then four, then six, then sixteen, then a hundred then two hundred. Jeez did not know what to make of it. In him, he could sense a feeling of wonder, and a strong desire to join them. While not really becoming a part of their ecosystem, his gaseous form was abandoned and soon found itself in the form of an amoeba. Jeez was like a spectator, taking in every little detail of the world around him and its changes, either subtle or large. Little did Jeez know, he would soon become so much more than that.

In the blink of an eye, the whole world shifted and changed. The single celled organisms moulded together, forming larger, more advanced creatures. They grew eyes, mouths, fins. Some dwelled in the darkness, while some preferred the light. Likewise, Some began to prey on others while others still, grew accustomed to vegetarian diets. It all happened so fast, and soon, the beings kept on evolving. They grew long tails and scales and legs. That's when Jeez saw them leave the water. The home he had called for so long. It both frightened and empowered him. What would he discover above the surface? Breaching the surface, Jeez discovered a whole new world. Dirt and vegetation as far as the eye could see. Giant beasts crashing through the tropical forests, grazing on what the land had to offer. Jeez rather liked the way these creatures looked, He grew green scales, horns, claws, and a beak, looking much like a triceratops would.

And still the world changed. A meteor struck the Earth, plunging the world in darkness and turmoil reigned. All the dinosaurs died off, leaving cold the only thing left. But there were some creatures that survived. Mammals. While Jeez admired their resilience, he did not see what was so special about them. The were nothing like the enormous, lumbering beasts which, until now, had ruled the land. The mammals were smaller. Meek. Surely there must have been a mistake? How could something so powerful be smited so easily? But Jeez soon learned that brawns was nothing compared to brains. And so dawned the age of man. They were scrawny, mindless things at first, but Jeez realised he had never before felt so at home. As they progressed, Jeez felt more and more attached to them. And while he still retained the scales, horns and claws of the dinosaurs, he found himself changing shape. A sort of amalgamation of a bipedal, scaly horror. And he sure liked himself this way.

Throughout all of his experiences, the one constant that Jeez had experienced was death and torture. He grew so accustomed to its presence that he began to enjoy such a nature. With his appearance the stuff of nightmares, he took it upon himself to terrorise the humans. Every form of human knew him some way or the other. His existence was documented through cave paintings, hieroglyphs and scripture. He was known by many names but they all meant the same thing. Jeez was the boogeyman. The thief of children or wanderers in the night. Slayer of all and servant to none. The inflictor of pain and suffering. He had lived through every war waged by man. From when they first invented tools, to present day. He had tasted the blood of thousands of dying soldiers. Relished in his abilities to make them squeal. Drank in their pleas of mercy and sucked in their last breaths. Some of his favourite eras, he noted, were the rise of the Mayan empire, the Egyptians, and the World Wars. They were all so deliciously brutal. Currently, he was enraptured by the most recent disputes mankind was engaged in. He wore the crisp, blue uniform of a Nazi soldier, complete with metals and trademark Swastika arm patch.

But still, he felt empty. Humans were nothing like him. He was a god, demon, or devil. However way you put it, it didn't matter to him. He was above humans. But, contrary to popular belief, however, he was not the creator of Hell. And he had only met one other like himself. It was so very long ago. Jeez remembered the day it happened. Born out of humanity's greed and bloodlust; when they had first discovered the thrill of killing, Lo was created. Lo was a pale, Satyr-like creature, but still a demon just like Jeez. Why Lo had never existed before the humans like himself, Jeez did not know. But he knew he wasn't alone anymore. Lo seemed just as malicious and blood-thirsty as he was, and soon, the two became close.

Out of the killing, more demons sprang into existence. Hell, it seemed, was never needed before man. It was their intellect that had set them apart from the dinosaurs and the the mammals of the ice age. Their sentience would be their undoing. Humans created Hell. And the demons were happy to oblige.

Jeez finally seemed to have found where he belonged. He had everything he could ever want. A place to rule; to torture the pathetic human race. Underlings with which to do his bidding. Even his own Jazz band. But his complacency was shattered after Lo disappeared. He searched for the demon, eventually capturing him and dragging him back down to Hell. Jeez did not understand what had inspired Lo to try to escape. Wasn't this enough for him? It was in his nature to kill. So… Why did he leave?

And then Jeez met Justin.


	2. Chapter 2

Sweat cascaded down the demon's brow as he worked. He was in a rather cheery mood and whistled a little tune. The cacophony of screams graced his ears like beautiful music and he could not help but to wave his hands like a composer to the sounds. In one clawed hand, the demon held a razor, dripping blood, and in the other a crystalline glass. Still whistling, Jeez made his way over to his intended victim.

It was a man, about five foot four inches tall, distended beer belly and shrewish features. His beady eyes bulged out of the sockets in fear as the demon entered his room. Jeez was like a panther, slowly making his way to the center, where the unfortunate lay, strapped down to what appeared to be an operating table. Stealthily, suavely stepping over the ragged and burnt body parts that littered the blood drenched floor. Upon approaching, the human made a pathetic squeak of panic, and began struggling against the confines that held him in place.

"Ah, yes, please do continue. I love the way you squirm underneath my chains. Let the blood surge through your veins. Let the terror consume you! It would do just nicely to stir up my drink."

A pallid green hand reached down to pat the balding man on the shoulder, ignoring his muffled pleas for mercy. Instead, he busied himself with preparing his medical instruments. Setting down his glass he held the razor in his hand. Jeez and slid the sharp edge across his palm, hissing when the blade caught onto his flesh and tore through. Beads of green seeped through the fresh wound and dribbled into the floor, mixing like paint into the already rusty brown coagulated at his feet. Jeez made a beeline for the man.

"Now babe, I need you to stay calm for me. Too much fear…"

He inhaled deeply, face inches away from the other.

"Spoils the flavour. You need just the right amount to make it perfect, and I'll not have you ruin it for me!"

A clawed fist slammed down next to the man's head, who stilled in his thrashings, electing instead to stare into the unearthly eyes of his captor. His hopes were that if he obeyed, he might be spared whatever horrific torture that scaly creature had in mind for him. Unfortunately, he thought wrong.

"Much better. Now this will only hurt for a second. Think of it like donating blood. You'd do it for a worthy cause, right? Helping to save other's lives?"

A brisk nod was stunted due to the fact that the man's head was securely held in place by chains. Jeez merely chuckled.

"Not much of a talker, are you?" Well, if you won't answer me, then I guess we'll just have to look up your credentials then, shall we?" With a flourish of the hand, the man's wallet appeared in a puff of smoke. He rifled through the contents, pulling out cards and cash, which he pocketed for himself, and proceeded to pull out the man's driver's license. Jeez pulled out a small monocle from his shirt pocket to scan the words better.

"Allister Edward Vanburen. Date of birth 06-12-1935. Male, blue eyes… And yet it says here you're not an organ donor? Tsk… Well, that certainly, doesn't mean anything, surely your medical documents will say you've donated blood. Let's pull them up." Another wave and a stack of papers appeared. The demon took less time with these, merely flipping through the pages rampantly. "Ooh… I guess, I was wrong. You haven't donated a drop of blood in your life. How selfish of you."

By now, the middle aged man has resumed in his struggles. His eyes were bloodshot and his features were etched with worry.

"Well, don't worry about that. Down here in Hell, we like to share all of our gifts with everyone. What's mine is yours. And what's yours is mine. And I think I've worked up a might bit of thirst. Just, think of it this way. At least you'll be supplying to me for a worthy cause."

He cackled lecherously as the man screamed muffled obscenities. Jeez raised his hand above the man and plunged the sharp object down onto him. It pierced through the soft skin of his neck, slicing through the jugular, and howls of pain were ripped from his lips. Blood sprayed every which way, soaking Jeez in red. The demon summoned his glass, and merely stood there while the blood rained down upon him. It filled his glass and he swiftly took a dignified sip. Giddy laughter bubbled up to the surface and soon Jeez was positively writhing in fits of giggles. His chest burned around the time he was finally calm enough to face his victim once again.

"My sir, your blood is absolutely exquisite. It has a certain tang to it that just cannot be replicated anywhere else. Out of all of the tortured and the damned I have sampled, they cannot compare to you."

A speaker that was in one of the walls crackled to life.

"Jeez, get your ass down to floor nine!" Screeched a nasally voice. "The big boss needs you!"

Upon hearing his name, Jeez cooed in curiosity.

"I'd love to stay and chat, however I'm needed elsewhere. More souls to attend to. It seems us demons never get a break, what with all the fresh meat pouring in every day. Speaking of breaking, I have a new recruit that I'm scheduled to see. And you sir, mustn't miss your next appointment. Your next host gets rather angry when his guests arrive late. It was nice to make your acquaintance. Have a nice stay in Hell!" Jeez snapped his fingers and one brutish demon entered the room. It stopped near a wall where a lever was soldered onto it. Once pulled, the straps around the man were released, and the table was lifted up at an angle, causing Allister to slide down it and fall into the pit waiting underneath him. His screams echoed all the way down until they were abruptly silenced by a sickening crack.

Jeez simply walked out of the room and used his pocket handkerchief to wipe off the blood splattered across his face. He didn't actually enjoy the taste of this man's blood that much. But he prided himself in making sure all of his customers felt special.


	3. Chapter 3

Jeez barged into the room, followed closely by a shorter demon with a swinish face. His knobby limbs clutched onto Jeez in a desperate attempt to restrain him from forcing his way into the room.

"Jeez, the Devil will see you when it is ready! You have to go back into the waiting room to be called. Are you insane; it'll skin us alive!"

The green man simply continued on further into the room, dragging the receptionist behind him.

"Yo, what the fuck is this all about!? I was enjoying company when I was called away! Do you know how bad that looks? I'm gonna receive bad reviews!" The demon whined, throwing his arms up in the air in agitation. He was met with silence until the leather chair, which had been facing away from the two, swiveled around instantaneously, and a pale young boy with dark brown hair and freckles glowered up at them. A tar-like substance seeped from his empty eye sockets and his mouth was stitched shut in a permanent frown. The sides twitched down further, straining against the twine that kept it firmly in place and the thread rubbed painfully across the skin, producing burns and irritation around the holes. Perhaps the most notable feature on the boy was the gaping hole in his neck, and a speaker was implanted snugly into the flesh.

The receptionist grovelled under the deadly eye of his master. He begged,

"Oh, please sir, I'm sorry, I tried to stop him, truly I did! He just got through so easily! A small demon can only do so much; please don't hurt me!"

Devil stood, only reaching roughly four feet, two inches in height, and weighed in at 60 pounds of unadulterated terror. Turning his gaze to the wallowing mass on the floor, he grimaced in disgust before returning his attention to Jeez. Reaching up with a small hand, the boy pressed a tiny grey button next to the speaker in his neck. Static crackled to life before a voice could be heard. It sounded highly robotic, yet foreboding and demonic.

"You dare disturb me? I am severely disappointed. I expect better from you. I am the prince of Darkness, and you WILL do well to remember who you're dealing with the next time you try to act out of turn."

Jeez broiled with anger. "And you'd do well to remember to respect your elders, you little faerie fuck. I was called out of work by you personally, to deal with whatever petty bullshit your little prissy prick-ass wanted me to deal with. So expect that I'm going to be irate in being interrupted as well. An eye for an eye. Or… Well,"

He blinked, remembering the Devil didn't have any.

"You know what I mean." He finished lamely. The Devil merely huffed silently and turned around to reach into his cabinet. "Scotch ok?"

Jeez took at seat and grunted in the affirmative.

Upon realising he was safe from punishment, the concierge quickly hopped up and scurried out of the room, back to his job, careful to not make any noise to bring attention back on himself. The door slid shut quietly.

Devil turned around his chair with two small glasses of scotch. The ice clinked against the glass as it was set down in front of Jeez, who picked it up and chucked it down his throat the second it was put in front of him. Devil simply toyed with his glass, rubbing a wet finger along the rim and creating soft whistling noises. He pressed his speaker again.

"I've called you here to talk about Lo."

"The pale satyr guy? Yeah, I know who you're talking about. I used to hang out with him a lot back in the old days. One might've considered us pals. But then he started acting all weird and I became busy with the band that we kinda just drifted apart. Let me tell you though, that guy was a wild one. He's the life of the party. Doin' crazy shit everyone else was too chicken shit to do. I still remember the dying screams of those soldiers back in 'Nam when we dared him to sneak up on their camp and give 'em a fright. It was rather funny actually. They screamed so loud the enemy heard them and blew them up to shit. And the time he tried to steal the sun stone from the city of Atlantis and sunk the fucker. Heh. Man, those were the times."

"Yes, that's all well and good but this time he's stolen something serious. Something from me. Now normally I wouldn't fucking care that he's messing around in the human world. Demons do that all the time. Entering their plane of existence through summonings, chants, ouija boards, dreams and nightmares, et cetera, et cetera. Any of those portals there would've been fine. But this time Lo has taken something of very significant value to me. Do you recognise this book?"

Devil held up a piece of parchment to Jeez. The demon took it and inspected it closer. A book with an intricately sculpted cover was drawn on the page in great detail. In the center was a light green eye shaped like a cat's, and a mound of almost muscle-like flesh carved all around it. It had leather binding and ridges down the spine, and a small red ribbon hung out of the bottom of the book, marking an unknown page inside it. Jeez was actually familiar with the book. He had been there when it was created, but took no interest in it himself. The humans had documented everything their petty little minds conjured up about the occult into this book, and inadvertently made everything inside of it a reality. It mostly detailed rituals and descriptions of demons, summonings, and curses. Although the book looked to be rather thin in comparison to the vast influx of drivel written by the humans, that was just a trick of the mind itself. One simply had to know where and how to look, and the book then became much thicker. It was sort of a defense mechanism to protect from those who would use such knowledge unwisely. If they could not see it, they could not use it. Demons, however, were always aware of the mechanism, having been birthed by the book itself. They knew the entire ins and outs of it, parlor tricks and all, down to the very page number in which they were described therein.

Handing the paper back, Jeez nodded. "Yeah, I know of it. What's it to you?"

Devil scowled. "That book is our very lifeblood Jeez! You of all demons should know this. Not only is it the means to bring about chaos and suffering to the humans with smokes, mirrors, and an incantation, but it is the entire reason we exist. No demon can harm the book, but a human can. If it gets into the wrong hands, we're fucked. We can't access their plane of existence easily anymore. Our influence will be limited to random scripture written outside of the book; our power over the humans will be ripped from us! There is only this one book of power. If harmed, our reality may be changed forever."

"Then why didn't you just make a copy, sweetheart?"

The tips of Devil's ears were scorched a bright red. "Don't ever call me that again. And I told you, only humans can add to the book. You can't just make a copy. It's our one stupid weakness that could result in mass destruction to the demon race. It's like if we were Superman, and the book is our Kryptonite, except it also grants us power too."

"Gotcha. What do you want me to do about all this."

Devil stood up. "I want you to track down Lo and bring him and the book safely back here. After that, you can fuck off; I have no use for you anymore."

"And why did you think I'd be willing to just do this for you? What's in it for me?"

Devil narrowed his eyes, looking rather irritated, yet amused. "Are you trying to _haggle_ with the Devil?"

"Fuck yeah, I am. I ain't doing this shit for free." Jeez stood up himself and straightened out his uniform. "Especially since it'd be ratting out on a friend. You gotta put out to get something back, hon."

Devil sighed, taking his finger off the button. He ran his hand through his hair while Jeez waited.

"Well?"

"Alright fine. I'll let you raid my stock of personal torture devices, and you can keep them for yourself."

Jeez bounced up in joy but stopped abruptly. "That, and I get to keep this whole bottle of scotch."

"Ack, fine. Now get out of my sight. Bring both the book and Lo to me when you get back."

Jeez quickly snatched up the bottle of amber liquid and made his way to the door. "Can do, honey bun." He extricated himself from the room before the Devil could protest to the pet name.

Making his way back home, Jeez thought to himself aloud,

"Alright, if I were Lo, where would I go if I didn't want to be found?"


End file.
